Aggressives Verhalten von Eltern und Angeh?rigen gegenüber Krankenhaus?rzten in der Kinderheilkunde

Zusammenfassung Hintergrund Aus der Kinderheilkunde liegen kaum Untersuchungen zur Problematik von aggressivem Verhalten von Eltern oder Angehörigen gegen Ärzte während ihrer Berufsausübung vor. Methodik Die Problematik wurde über einen Fragebogen, der an die Assistentensprecher aller pädiatrischen Abteilungen und Kinderkliniken in Deutschland adressiert war, erfasst. Ergebnisse 89,9% der antwortenden Ärzte sind mindestens einmal Ziel eines aggressiven Vorfalls gewesen, davon in mehr als der Hälfte der Fälle innerhalb des Jahres vor der Befragung. 74,6% der Ärzte wurden beschimpft, 34,6% wurde körperliche Gewalt angedroht, bei 15,1% eine Gewaltanwendung versucht, und 12,2% der Kinderärzte wurden Opfer einer Gewaltanwendung. Für 39,5% der Ärzte hatte das Ereignis eine persönliche Beeinträchtigung zur Folge, jedoch nahmen nur 2,4% daraufhin professionelle Hilfe in Anspruch. Lediglich 6,3% der Ärzte meldeten den Vorfall der Klinikverwaltung, und nur 3,9% hatten die Möglichkeit, an einem präventiven Training vor einer solchen Situationen teilzunehmen, obwohl dies 72,8% für sinnvoll hielten. Schlussfolgerungen In der Kinderheilkunde tätige Ärzte sind einem hohen Risiko ausgesetzt, bei ihrer Arbeit in aggressive Belästigungen verwickelt zu werden. Nur wenige Ärzte teilen dies offiziellen Stellen mit. Möglichkeiten der Prävention (z. B. Kommunikationstraining) und der Nachsorge (Supervision) sollten entwickelt und genutzt werden.     

Impaired nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide synthesis in pyruvate kinase- deficient human erythrocytes: a mechanism for decreased total NAD content and a possible secondary cause of hemolysis

Erythrocytes from individuals with pyruvate kinase (PK) deficiency have approximately half the total (oxidized and reduced) nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) of normal erythrocytes. In order to elucidate the mechanism(s) for the decrease in total NAD, we examined NAD synthesis in intact erythrocytes. It is demonstrated that NAD synthesis is impaired in PK-deficient erythrocytes to a degree that is dependent on the PK activity and adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) concentration of these cells. After incubation in the presence of fluoride, which simulates the characteristics of PK deficiency by inhibiting enolase, normal erythrocytes had impaired NAD synthesis and decreased ATP concentrations. Fluoride did not inhibit NAD synthesis in a hemolysate system that is not dependent on glycolysis for ATP generation. These data suggest that fluoride does not inhibit the enzymes of NAD synthesis and that impairment of NAD synthesis by fluoride is mediated by decreased ATP formation. Thus, it is concluded that impaired NAD synthesis in PK-deficient erythrocytes is caused by decreased ATP formation due to the PK deficiency. Since the rate of glycolysis is limited by the availability of NAD+, it is suggested that impaired NAD synthesis causes further ATP depletion and thereby may enhance hemolysis in PK-deficient erythrocytes.     

Lysozyme Activity in the Plasma of Rodents Infected With Their Homologous Trypanosomes

Background

In this study the concentration of lysozyme in blood plasma of Microtus agrestis, Clethrinomys glareolus, Apodemus sylvaticus, BK rats and outbred white mice before and after infection with culture forms of Trypanosoma microti, T, evotomys, T. grosi, T. lewisi and T. musculi respectively was measured.

Methods

Blood samples of rodents, Microtus agrestis, Clethrionomys glareolus, Apodemus sylvaticus, BK rats and outbred mice infected with T. microti, T. evotomys, T. grosi, T. lewisi and T. musculi respectively were collected in heparinized micro- tubes immediately before inoculation and 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 96 and more than 400 days after intra- perituneal inoculation with 5×10⁵of their homologous trypanosome parasites of which more than half were metacyclic trypomastigote in 0.2 ml of culture medium. Micro- tubes were centrifuged and plasma samples were separated and the lysozyme activity was measured by the agar method.

Results

Levels of lysozyme rose rapidly three to six days after the inoculation to ten to twenty than their pre- infection levels. They then gradually decreased, although after more than one year they were still two to ten folds higher than controls. The highest level measured occurred in rats infected with T. lewisi and the lowest in A. sylvaticus infected with T. grosi. After one year the highest concentration of lysozyme was in mice infected with T. musculi and lowest in A. sylvaticus.

Conclusion

Persistent enhanced lysozyme levels may prevent re- infection with trypanosomes.     

Decrease in subunit aggregation of phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase: a mechanism for decreased nucleotide concentrations in pyruvate kinase-deficient human erythrocytes

Pyruvate kinase (PK)-deficient RBCs have several unexplained metabolic abnormalities, such as decreased concentrations of total adenine nucleotides (AMP, ADP, and ATP) and total (oxidized and reduced) nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). Because 5-phosphoribosyl-1- pyrophosphate (PRPP) is an intermediate in the synthesis of adenine nucleotides and NAD, we investigated PRPP synthetase (PRPPS), the enzyme responsible for PRPP synthesis. This enzyme is regulated, in part, by changes in its state of subunit aggregation. The proportion of aggregated PRPPS can be altered in vitro by ATP and 2,3- diphosphoglycerate (DPG). Because PK-deficient RBCs have decreased ATP and increased DPG concentrations, we examined the state of subunit aggregation of PRPPS in RBCs from normal and PK-deficient subjects, using gel permeation chromatography. Young normal RBCs have more aggregated PRPPS than do older RBCs. In contrast, due to their decreased ATP and increased DPG concentrations, PK-deficient RBCs contain less aggregated PRPPS than do RBCs of comparable age without PK deficiency. These data suggest that PRPPS should be less active in vivo in PK-deficient RBCs. This may play a key role in mediating the decreases in total adenine nucleotide and total NAD concentrations in these RBCs.     

Adhesion of sickle neutrophils and erythrocytes to fibronectin

The pathophysiology of vaso-occlusive crisis in sickle cell disease involves interactions among blood cells, plasma proteins, and vessel wall components. The initial goal of this work was to quantify the adhesion of sickle red blood cells (RBCs) to fibronectin immobilized on glass under both static and dynamic shear stress conditions. High-power microscopic inspection of static assay plates showed striking numbers of adherent neutrophils as well as RBCs. Sickle neutrophils and RBCs were significantly more adherent to fibronectin than the corresponding normal cells in static adhesion assays. Adhesion of both sickle neutrophils and sickle RBCs in dynamic adhesion assays was promoted by a period of static incubation preceding initiation of shear stress conditions. Adherent neutrophils remained attached at shear stresses up to 51 dyne/cm2; most adherent RBCs were attached at shear stresses up to 13 dyne/cm2, but detached at a shear stress of 20 dyne/cm2. Sickle neutrophil adhesion was enhanced significantly by autologous plasma. Elevated levels of plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6; but not IL-1 or IL-8) were found in 6 of 9 sickle cell disease samples examined, and elevated levels of tumor necrosis factor were found in 2 of 9 samples. Plasma IL- 6 levels correlated positively with both the number of sickle neutrophils adherent to fibronectin and the ability of sickle plasma to enhance adhesion of normal neutrophils to fibronectin. These data suggest possible roles for neutrophil activation and for fibronectin in mediating sickle neutrophil and RBC adhesion.     

Mosquito larvicidal properties of essential oil of an indigenous plant, Ipomoea cairica Linn

Laboratory bioassay of the essential oil extracted from an indigenous plant, Ipomoea cairica, commonly known as 'Railway creeper', was carried out against the larvae of four vector species of mosquitoes in order to evaluate its mosquito larvicidal effect. Bioassay test revealed that the essential oil of the plant possess remarkable larvicidal properties as it could induce 100% mortality in the larvae of Culex tritaeniorhynchus (100 ppm), Aedes aegypti (120 ppm), Anopheles stephensi (120 ppm), and Culex quinquefasciatus (170 ppm) mosquitoes at concentrations rangeing from 100 to 170 ppm. The LC(50) and LC(90) values estimated for Cx. tritaeniorhynchus, Ae. aegypti, An. stephensi, and Cx. quinquefasciatus were 14.8 and 78.3, 22.3 and 92.7, 14.9 and 109.9, and 58.9 and 161.6 ppm, respectively. The essential oil was found to be most highly toxic to the larvae of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus followed by Ae. aegypti, An. stephensi, and Cx. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes.